If you never experienced an early morning Sadhana, you can hardly imagine how great it can be. It sounds tough….waking up at 4am, taking a cold shower and cycle to the other side of town to practise this morning ritual that takes 2 1/2 hours. Yes, the waking up at 4am requires a bit of committment (especially making sure you sleep in time the night before) but for the rest it is quite do able. I did the 40 days of Sadhana (the morning practise 40 days in a row) a couple of months ago. I thought it would be tough but is wasn’t at all. I found out it was just the best way to start the day.
This morning I was leading the morning Sadhana under the beautiful full moon. I did not see the moon as clear as on this picture that I received from the Philippines a couple of months ago….the super moon shining on the sea near Palawan island. Though it was special to see the moon appearing through the clouds this morning when crossing the water with the ferry, in strong and cold wind.
Looking for a set of exercises for this morning, I found a beautiful kriya ‘heart of gold’ on internet. A set of kundalini yoga exercises for Self Focus and Self Love. If you read the text that comes with the set, it maybe sounds like big words, maybe too esoteric.
Based on my experiences and discoveries in the past years and the growth and change it brings, the words make such sense to me. These exercises give me the tools that I was looking for. On how to step into my own light. Yes, how can we merge if we are not whole ourselves? How can we particpate in the group and in the whole and shine our light if we keep ourselves so small and in the dark? If we feel pressured by everything and everybody around us, by living in our minds and so often forgetting about the rest. I believe we do need to get stronger and more convinced that we can all shine our light, the light of our soul.
-Yogi Bhajan
In case you are interested, here the information about the kriya and the exercises:
We need self-focus and self-love to build and maintain our (1) heart center, (2) identity structure, (3) inner authority, and (4) radiance. The same dynamics are at play when we offer our creative contribution to collective endeavors and when we connect with the Infinite Force. Merging means fitting in perfectly into the whole. First we have to become whole ourselves. Personal authenticity, authority, and integrity are requirements for both participation in the group and for co-creation with the Divine. It is our personal responsibility to shine the light of our soul, which is the energetic foundation for both self-realization and for establishing our Divine connection. It is the light of our soul that integrates into the universal (and global) whole of which we are each a unique and vital part. We don’t get lost. We get found. The kriya Heart of Gold is a great one to cultivate your heart light. Feel the warmth in your spine at the level of your heart and let it become golden. Gold grounds us and keeps us in the body. The hands are an extension of the heart chakra. Feel the connection between your hands and your heart. When you prepare food, touch yourself, others, and things, or use your hands in many other ways, feel that your heart is directing and feeding their movements.
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Yoga Mudra: In Lotus (or Easy) Pose, bend over placing forehead on the ground, hands in Venus Lock behind the back, index fingers extended, and raise the arms straight up, pulling the shoulder blades together with long deep breathing for 3 minutes.
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In Easy Pose, lean forward to 60°, grasp opposite shoulder blades and pull right arm under left, and hold with long deep breathing for 3 minutes.
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Arms stretched straight out in front, parallel to the ground, spread the fingers wide apart, feeling heat at the base of the palms, and hold with long deep breathing for 3 minutes. Then tense hands and relax. Brings energy to the heart in 2 shifts.
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Rub hands in a circular motion around the centers of the palms for 3 minutes.
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Upper arms at sides, bring left one out to the side away from the body and hold the right one close in, palms facing each other, and meditate on the energy between the hands for 7-15 minutes.
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Ego Eradicator: Arms up to the sides at 60°, fingertips on pads and thumbs extended up, breathe long and deep for 1-2 minutes, and then follow with 1-2 minutes of Breath of Fire.
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Repeat #4.
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Place palms 4-6″ apart at the heart center, palms facing each other, right one above, left below. See a golden ball of light between the hands. Expand the light with each breath for 10-15 minutes.
January is a good month to reflect, to see where I am now, to set a vision for this year. A lot has happened over the past year and slowly slowly things are taking shape. Things that help me to get my feet on the ground back here in Amsterdam. Inspired by new activities. The workshops I did, my part-time job as a cook at Yoga Fest that I am enjoying a lot, setting up ‘Buurderij de Ceuvel’ (together with two great girls), joining Jacqueline’s yoga & meditation retreats as a cook and sharing the love for plant based nutrition, participating at Veg Fest. I am very thankful for these experiences and I feel encouraged to build on this the coming year.
Now I am planning more workshops for Feb/March/April. Retreats are coming up in Ameland, the forest near Huizen again and Ibiza. I am looking forward to all this. Very much. To inspire people for healing and nourishing food and spread the light. I feel I can do that and I am so thankful for that, that all my work of small steps is paying off slowly slowly. Sometimes as slow as a turtle. Sometimes with doubt and fear for trusting in the unknown. With diving deep, inspiration comes. It needs a lot of courage, patience and trust. Sometimes more than I think I have. Standing in your own bright light, what a beautiful challenge. What a journey. ‘Der weg is das Ziel’
Wishing you all a beautiful year, with love and light and beautiful projects and dreams to come true.